Has there ever been a switch pitcher in Major League Baseball?

Greg Harris

Yes. Greg Harris, in 1995, threw one inning of shutout ball switch pitching for the Montreal Expos against the Cincinnati Reds. Harris faced a total of four hitters -- two as a righty, and two as a lefty.
Read More about Greg Harris

The last pitcher to use both hands in a pro baseball game had been Bert Campaneris, who did so in 1962 while playing for Daytona Beach in the Florida State League. In 1965, Campaneris played every position in a nine inning game for the Kansas City A's. On the mound, "Campy" pitched ambidextrously, throwing lefty to left-handers, and switched against right-handers.(baseballlibrary.com)

Pat Venditte, in 2010, switch pitched in spring training for the New York Yankees in relief of CC Sabathia. Venditte is currently a minor league pitcher with the Oakland Athletics organization, with an invitation to spring training in 2015.

Yankees' ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte Debuts

Bert Campaneris Plays All Nine Positions in Game (Sept. 8, 1965)
"Campaneris’ most challenging assignments came in the final two innings. When he took the mound in the eighth he pitched as well as could be expected. On the mound, he pitched ambidextrously, throwing lefty to left-handers, and switched against right-handers. Campy allowed two walks, one hit and one run. Campaneris moved behind the plate in the ninth." (source: offbeathistory.com)

MLB Ambidextrous Throwers
The four players listed by Major League Baseball as being able to throw both left & right handed are: Tony Mullane (1881-1894), George Wheeler (1896-1899), Moxie Manuel (1905-1908) & Greg Harris (1981-1995).

Recent ambidextrous throwers in the pros:
• Yu Darvish, a tall right-handed starting pitcher with the Texas Rangers, throws left-handed in practice to maintain muscle balance.

• Jeff Schwarz, former right-handed pitcher with the Chicago White Sox, started throwing lefty when he was 13 years old.

Switch Pitchers in the MLB Player Draft (new list)

---

Comments

Pitchers Glove Rules - Size and Color

What are the rules on a pitchers glove? According to the official baseball rules, a pitchers glove can be up to 12 inches in size , of any weight , and any color except white or gray as long as it is not distracting. The Akadema ABX-00 glove, pictured above, is 12 inches, solid black and is not distracting according to local umpires. Little League Rules Gray glove is not allowed for pitching White glove is not allowed for pitching Little League Rule 1.14: Each fielder, other than the first baseman and the catcher may wear a glove not more than 12 inches long nor more than 7 3/4 inches wide, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the glove. The glove may be of any weight. Little League Rule 1.15 (a) : The pitcher's glove may not, exclusive of the piping, be white or light gray, nor, in the judgment of an umpire, distracting in any manner. (source: Little League Baseball Rules Regarding Bats and Gloves ) Off

Fastball Velocity - How fast do kids throw?

How fast does a Little League pitcher throw? The average fastball is between 50-60 mph for a pitcher in the Majors division of Little League (11-13 yo). Pitchers in the Little League World Series throw fastballs 60-70+ mph. Only a few pitchers touched 70+ mph in 2015 and 2016. One man-child hit 81 mph on the radar. This velocity is almost unhittable from 46 feet and extremely rare for a 13 year old. #18 RHP Carlos Gonzalez - Panama 79-81 mph fastball 105 mph MLB equivalent reaction time #18 RHP Jaekyeong Kim - South Korea 75-76 mph fastball #19 RHP Ryan Harlost - Mid-Atlantic, Endwell, NY 71-74 mph fastball Threw a complete game to win the 2016 Little League World Series Loreto Siniscalchi , a 6'1" pitcher from Canada, threw in the mid 70s and completely dominated the hitters from Japan. He led Team Canada to its first victory over Japan in 18 years. Big right-hander Isaiah Head from Kentucky threw 70-73 mph fastballs. His record was 3-0, 12 I

Baseball Glove Options for Switch Pitchers

Custom made Mizuno ambidextrous glove Looking for a glove for a switch pitcher? Before spending hundreds of dollars on a custom glove, please think about age of the player and how much time they will spend pitching. Here are glove options for ambidextrous pitchers, based on age: Age 3-5 Kids don't pitch at this age. They should be learning the proper way to throw. Young kids should try catching the ball with two hands. Use tennis balls or foam balls for throwing. Forget about the low quality plastic glove - it's in the landfill within a year. Gloves are awkward for young kids. If they learn two hand catch when they are young and continue with the skill, they will do well fielding balls when they are older. Learning to throw with both arms is easy at this stage. If a child can throw with either hand when they are three-years-old, it doesn't mean that they are talented or ambidextrous - it just means that they are a typical kid. Gloves: Buy a small leath

Switch Pitching 101

Search This Blog